Area’s ‘greatest’ garage sale coming next weekend

What has been deemed as Northern Michigan's “greatest” garage sale is right around the corner, and organizers say there will be a few changes made to the event this year.

Shawna Jankoviak Staff Writer, @sjankoviakCDT @sjankoviak

What has been deemed as Northern Michigan's “greatest” garage sale is right around the corner, and organizers say there will be a few changes made to the event this year.
The Cheboygan County Humane Society's fundraising garage sale at the Cheboygan County Fairgrounds will take place on Friday, Aug. 23 and Saturday, Aug. 24 this year, with a special auction on Sunday, Aug. 25. Items donated for the sale can be dropped off on Wednesday, Aug. 21 from 10 a.m. until 2 p.m., with the exception of televisions, computers, mattresses/box springs, exercise equipment or shoes, which will not be accepted.
Cheboygan County Humane Society Executive Director Mary Talaske said among this year's changes are extended hours on Friday, with the sale now running from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. that day. The sale will continue on Saturday from 9 a.m. until 5 p.m. This year, the sale will not be open on Sunday, with the exception of the special auction scheduled for 1 p.m. Sunday by Horrocks Auctioneering to sell the remaining items.
Although items in the sale have been sold by donation rather than by a price tag in past years, Talaske said prices will be posted in each barn this year.
“We won't be doing it by donation anymore,” Talaske said. “Although we did get some very generous donations from people, there were some people who were taking advantage of it. This year there will be a pricing structure, and this will hopefully make things a little easier and better.”
The sale will include antiques, clothing, furniture, household items, books and more. Things will be sorted into buildings so people can more easily find what they are interested in, such as children's items and toys. Donations have been collected throughout the year, and the organization's storage areas typically fill up well before the sale, requiring off-site storage areas to be utilized.
Talaske said items are already being hauled to the fairgrounds.
Anyone interested in volunteering is also encouraged to contact Talaske. She said volunteers make the sale possible.
“We have wonderful volunteers, all working for a cause. But we can always use more,” Talaske noted. “We will be at the fairgrounds all week (prior to the sale) setting up.”
The sale has raised as much as $25,000 in past years, according to Talaske. This is the Humane Society's largest fund-raiser. The proceeds go strictly to help animals only in Cheboygan and Presque Isle counties; everything is used locally.
The sale has been held annually for more than 15 years, Talaske has said. It began in a garage, moved to a pole barn and ended up at the fairgrounds, getting bigger every year.
Call the Cheboygan County Humane Society at 238-8221 for more information. The shelter is open from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday through Friday and from noon to 4 p.m. Saturday.